The roots of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, are examined in this document. Attention is directed to English law, specifically the Magna Carta and England's Bill of Rights of 1689, as providing much of the underpinnings for the U.S. Bill of Rights. The text of 15 articles proposed by anti-federalists during the Constitutional ratification fight in Pennsylvania in 1787 is presented as the first draft of the Bill of Rights. This paper might be useful to secondary history or civics teachers and students who desire a brief summary on the history of the Bill of Rights. (DB)